Thursday, December 17, 2009
My Thoughts on World Hunger
I don't believe that world hunger is a widely recognized issue. We talk of global warming, bad economies, wars, etcetera, but hardly ever do we mention hunger. Even stranger is that hunger is tied into all those topics. Poverty, disease, financial issues, and weather problems are all key causes of hunger. Also, many people assume that hunger is a problem that's far away, and therefore unimportant. Hunger is actually very close, and it is something that needs attention, and fast. Hunger, like a disease, is growing every year. It spreads to new areas, then new countries. How long will we ignore it-until it's right in front of our face? So now I'm asking people to spread the word. Feeling generous this holiday season? Donate some food; even one can is better than nothing. Maybe you could volunteer for a few hours at a food bank or something. It doesn't take a lot of effort, but please don't just ignore this serious issue.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Competition
Today I heard a mini-seminar on competition. The general opinion of the person hosting the seminar was that competition was a bad thing. I myself don't believe that; I think friedly competition is okay (and no, I don't think that's an oxymoron). What is everyone's thoughts on this, and why? Examples are fun, too.
P.S. I know that so far I've only written about seminars, but soon I hope to post some different stuff. Bear with it for now, though. Thanks!
P.S. I know that so far I've only written about seminars, but soon I hope to post some different stuff. Bear with it for now, though. Thanks!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Rumor Has It... (essay on rumors)
“She did what? With him?!”
“Yes, or so I heard, but you can’t tell anyone. Okay?”
This is often how a rumor starts. One story starts, and it just goes around until it hits the victim. These stories are damaging not only to a person’s reputation, but also to their mentality; especially to their mentality, depending on what the story is. Kids in middle and high school, especially girls, are often both the instigators and victims in this much-too-common tale. Even when it seems like such a small thing, to tell a lie about someone you hate, you could truly hurt that person , and it may still affect them in later years. Rumors are horrible, and they can cause permanent damage in the early years of a child’s life.
Children are impressionable in elementary and the early years of middle school. Many are not prepared for the cruelty of some people, who will spread lies without a single thought for the other person’s feelings, except perhaps to think about how bad the victim will feel. Many adults, years after the harsh school years, will carry lingering effects from that time. Rumors are considered a form of bullying, and like any other type of abuse, it can leave a lasting mark.
Anxiety, depression, and even suicide can result from the stinging words of gossip and rumors. Teens are hit especially hard. If the teen is young, they might not be able to handle the rumors, and it might change certain aspects of their personality. Some teens become anti-social, have low self-esteem, or both, plus other issues. Researchers have also found that adults who were bullied in this way as a child are more likely to become depressed and have very low self-esteem.
Statistics show that girls are more likely to be doing the story-spreading than boys. Girls tend to show their sweetness on the outside, and their cunning evilness to gossip world. Unlike boys, who typically use their actions to fight, girls use words in the most caustic way they know how. They also use other methods such as excluding one person from a conversation or activity. Interesting enough, girls also tend to bully other girls, rather than both genders.
What happens to the kids who bully others? It’s been found that that approximately sixty percent of those bullies get sent to jail. That’s probably not the case for gossipers though. They’re more likely to end up with one of those trashy magazines who make a living by spreading rumors about celebrities. Their life will probably not end up glamorous, and they too might have many emotional issues later in their adulthood.
Rumors, lies, stories, gossip—whatever you want to call it. They’re all very damaging in several ways, especially to young children and teenagers. I myself have been a victim of this unrecognized abuse, and three years later it still makes me sick to think of the person who verbally harmed me and how it’s affected me. People who spread rumors don’t think about how much they could hurt the person; or perhaps they just really don’t care. Maybe that’s their goal, to harm the person. Unfortunately, rumors can truly pack a hard punch, and can cause permanent damage to a person’s view on life. Someday, I hope kids will realize the damage they cause with words, and I wish for rumors to stop in school.
“Yes, or so I heard, but you can’t tell anyone. Okay?”
This is often how a rumor starts. One story starts, and it just goes around until it hits the victim. These stories are damaging not only to a person’s reputation, but also to their mentality; especially to their mentality, depending on what the story is. Kids in middle and high school, especially girls, are often both the instigators and victims in this much-too-common tale. Even when it seems like such a small thing, to tell a lie about someone you hate, you could truly hurt that person , and it may still affect them in later years. Rumors are horrible, and they can cause permanent damage in the early years of a child’s life.
Children are impressionable in elementary and the early years of middle school. Many are not prepared for the cruelty of some people, who will spread lies without a single thought for the other person’s feelings, except perhaps to think about how bad the victim will feel. Many adults, years after the harsh school years, will carry lingering effects from that time. Rumors are considered a form of bullying, and like any other type of abuse, it can leave a lasting mark.
Anxiety, depression, and even suicide can result from the stinging words of gossip and rumors. Teens are hit especially hard. If the teen is young, they might not be able to handle the rumors, and it might change certain aspects of their personality. Some teens become anti-social, have low self-esteem, or both, plus other issues. Researchers have also found that adults who were bullied in this way as a child are more likely to become depressed and have very low self-esteem.
Statistics show that girls are more likely to be doing the story-spreading than boys. Girls tend to show their sweetness on the outside, and their cunning evilness to gossip world. Unlike boys, who typically use their actions to fight, girls use words in the most caustic way they know how. They also use other methods such as excluding one person from a conversation or activity. Interesting enough, girls also tend to bully other girls, rather than both genders.
What happens to the kids who bully others? It’s been found that that approximately sixty percent of those bullies get sent to jail. That’s probably not the case for gossipers though. They’re more likely to end up with one of those trashy magazines who make a living by spreading rumors about celebrities. Their life will probably not end up glamorous, and they too might have many emotional issues later in their adulthood.
Rumors, lies, stories, gossip—whatever you want to call it. They’re all very damaging in several ways, especially to young children and teenagers. I myself have been a victim of this unrecognized abuse, and three years later it still makes me sick to think of the person who verbally harmed me and how it’s affected me. People who spread rumors don’t think about how much they could hurt the person; or perhaps they just really don’t care. Maybe that’s their goal, to harm the person. Unfortunately, rumors can truly pack a hard punch, and can cause permanent damage to a person’s view on life. Someday, I hope kids will realize the damage they cause with words, and I wish for rumors to stop in school.
Rumors
For my first post, I want to go back on an old subject. I recently held a mini-seminar on rumors, and I'd like to know what people think about the subject. Mostly, I focused on the effects of rumors on young victims (elementary to high school age). I actually discovered that rumors can lead a young child or teen to become depressed, and in the worst case they may commit suicide. Also in the long list of the emotional scars are the loss of trust and social isolation. I myself have battled depression and still suffer some of the wounds from so long ago, which is how I first got interested in the topic. Please post your comments; I will try to get my essay up, as well.
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